Wildtype peers rescue social play and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalization deficits in juvenile female Cacna1c heterozygous rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Healthy brain development depends on early social practices and experiences. The risk gene CACNA1C is implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, in which key characteristics include deficits in social functioning and communication. Recently, we reported sex-dependent impairments in social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in juvenile heterozygous Cacna1c^+/- (HET) rats. Specifically, HET females displayed increases in rough-and-tumble play that eliminated the typically observed sex difference between male and female rats. Interestingly, female wild-type Cacna1c^+/+ (WT) pairs also showed a similar increase in social play when housed with HET females, suggesting their behavior may be influenced by HET cage mates.

SUBMITTER: Bogdan R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10435996 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature